Puget Sound Herring

On June 6, 2005, we announced that a stock of Puget Sound herring does not qualify for protection under the Endangered Species Act because it does not meet the standard for a "species" under the law. The stock is known as Cherry Point herring because of its location in the sound, and its numbers have fluctuated widely over the past 10 years. A group of environmental organizations petitioned this herring population for listing in May 2004.